President Trump has once again floated the idea of seeking a third term in office, stating in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that he was “not joking” about the possibility. However, he acknowledged that it was “too early” to seriously consider pursuing it.
“There are methods which you could do it, as you know,” Trump said when pressed on the issue, though he declined to specify what those methods might be.
Trump, who returned to the White House in January for his second, non-consecutive term, is constitutionally barred from serving a third term under the 22nd Amendment. The amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to two four-year terms, a rule set in place after Franklin D. Roosevelt won four consecutive elections before passing away in office.
According to Reuters, altering the amendment would require significant legal and political hurdles, including approval by two-thirds of both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of U.S. state legislatures.
Despite these barriers, some of Trump’s allies have openly entertained the idea. His longtime adviser, Steve Bannon, said in a March 19 interview with NewsNation that he believes Trump will run again in 2028. “We’re working on it,” Bannon said, suggesting that Trump supporters are looking into ways to challenge the legal definition of term limits.
At 78 years old, Trump was the oldest president at the time of his second inauguration. If he were to run and win in 2028, he would be 82 at the start of a potential third term.
While Trump has previously made lighthearted references to a third term, this latest remark appears to be a more direct acknowledgment of the possibility—setting the stage for further debate over whether such a bid could ever become a reality.
